16-Year-Old With Mental Health Crisis Beaten, Hit With A Stun Gun At Hospital: Lawsuit

A North Carolina mother said her 16-year-old son who was dealing with a mental health crisis was beaten, body-slammed and hit with a stun gun by security officers and sheriff deputies when she took him to a hospital.

Jessica Long has filed a lawsuit against Atrium Health, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority and two of its security officers. Two Lincoln County deputies have also been identified for their involvement in the alleged assault, repored NBC news.

According to the lawsuit, Long's son, who is identified in court documents as John Doe, was assaulted at Atrium Health Lincoln in Lincolnton in December 2019.

Doe, who suffered from "one or more psychiatric infirmities" for years, was brought to the hospital as he was experiencing a mental health crisis. As the mother and the teen walked toward the emergency room's entrance, they were "aggressively confronted" by a security officer who drew a stun gun, the lawsuit alleges.

The security officer then grabbed the teenager by the throat and threw him on the ground. He repeatedly used the stun gun on the teen, burning his skin and hitting him on the chest.

A second security officer joined him in the assault and slammed his forearm across Doe's throat. When the officer ripped him onto the ground, the teen's face hit the pavement, the lawsuit adds. At one point during the incident, Doe was handcuffed behind his back.

The teenager was left with bruises and has reportedly suffered from "persistent psychiatric trauma" since the incident. According to Brad Smith, Long's attorney, the teenager was arrested for assault and other charges but the charges were dropped later.

The lawsuit also cites a 45-minute surveillance video that shows Doe sitting outside the hospital handcuffed when a responding deputy punched him in the face, said a report from the Associated Press. The teenager was taken into the emergency room around 45 minutes after they arrived at the hospital.

The lawsuit claims a variety of charges including assault, battery and excessive force, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress.

The defendants were asked for a comment on Wednesday, but none of them has returned the request so far.

Meanwhile, Atrium Health has issued a response to the complaint, saying that the actions of security officers were in response to Doe's behavior. It said the security officers were forced to respond to keep "themselves, patients and our entire care provider team safe."